Lincoln’s Own—Walking on AirLCHS = NASA [FEB. 25, 2000] Willie Hedrick, a University of Illinois student from Lincoln, will be going to Houston, Texas, to participate in fluid experiments for NASA. Hedrick and three others will be conducting experiments aboard the KC-135, a military tanker version of the Boeing 707 jetliner, while it is in the air.
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Months were spent planning and writing the proposals that were submitted to NASA with the hope that both proposals would be accepted. "I was back in Lincoln visiting Mrs. Harberts, my high school physics and calculus teacher, when I checked my e-mail on the computer, and I received a message saying, 'Congratulations, you’ve been accepted!'" related Hedrick "Basically, we are studying how oil and water (immiscible) act in micro gravity. There is a lot of complicated science behind it, but we are trying to determine what effect gravity has on two fluids that do not mix. We will then compare what we see on the ground to what we see in a micro gravity environment," the aeronautical/astronautical engineering major continued. "A lot of people think that it is a ground-based simulator, but we really go up in the air above the Gulf of Mexico and float around."
[Willie Hedrick, left, and friends in physics department at U of I.]
According to information from the Marshall Space Flight Center, engineers and scientists experience weightlessness during each parabola, a carefully designed trajectory that resembles a roller coaster ride. At the top, the pilot throttles back and noses over, letting the plane dive to give everyone about 20 to 30 seconds of free fall. They do this 40 times on each mission, so they get about 13 minutes of micro gravity time. It is an effective and inexpensive means of testing experiments before they go to space. People riding the KC-135 often get extremely sick. So the plane is referred to as the "vomit comet." Hedrick, who has never ridden on a plane, said, "My ride in the KC will be my first. Not too many people have the opportunity to say their first flight was in a weightless environment."
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Hedrick’s career goal is to work at NASA with its space program. "I’ve dreamed of being launched into space, but to become an astronaut, you have to be the best of the best. Its highly selective and the chances are slim, but dreaming and hoping is the first step to success. Whether it is unrealistic or not, all I can say is it’s a great way to motivate me to do my best." Teamwork is the most important aspect for the success of the experiments, said Hedrick. The group will leave on March 4 for the two-week trip. NASA officials will review their experiments to make sure everything is safe, while Hedrick and the other flyers complete training. "When we get back to the U of I we will do data analysis in order to complete a final report," he said. "Our experiments have been designed to be user friendly. When I’m flying, all I will have to do is turn the rack and push a button or two. It’s all automated for the most part. Then we can just have fun and enjoy the moment. Flying on the KC is a privilege and words cannot explain how grateful I am of this opportunity. I know that I will literally be flying on cloud nine that day. The flight itself is only three hours, but the memories will last a lifetime." For additional information about Willie and the "vomit comet," log onto: http://www.uiuc.edu/ro/floatn/
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